A record 380 youth caddies nationwide awarded the Evans Scholarship

New Evans Scholars to enroll this fall

GLENVIEW, Ill. – A record 380 students from across the country have been awarded the Evans Scholarship, a full housing and tuition college grant for golf caddies.

This fall, they will begin college as Evans Scholars at one of the Program’s 28 leading universities nationwide. The Evans Scholarship is valued at more than $125,000 over four years.

The Western Golf Association (WGA), headquartered in Glenview, Illinois, has supported the Chick Evans Scholarship Program through the Evans Scholars Foundation (ESF) since 1930. Known as one of golf’s favorite charities, it is the nation’s largest scholarship program for caddies.

To qualify for the Evans Scholarship, students must meet the Program’s four selection criteria, demonstrating a strong caddie record, outstanding academics, financial need and exceptional character.

“This record class is a powerful reflection of what can happen when golf clubs, community partners and program supporters across the country come together to invest in young people,” said WGA Chairman J. Andrew Langan. “We are proud to welcome these outstanding students as Evans Scholars and excited to see the impact they will make on campuses and in their communities.”

Currently, a record 1,260 caddies are enrolled at 27 universities across the country as Evans Scholars. More than 12,575 caddies have graduated as Evans Scholars since the Program was founded by famed Chicago amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans Jr. in 1930.

This year’s class reflects the continued growth of the Evans Scholars Program, with recipients coming from more regions and clubs than ever before. Several are the first caddies from their club to earn the Evans Scholarship, while others are the first in decades as club leaders have worked to revive youth caddie programs. The class also includes some of the first Evans Scholars to emerge from WGA pilot caddie programs aimed at expanding caddie opportunities nationwide.

Some of the newly awarded Evans Scholars participated in the Caddie Academy, a special summer program run by the WGA that provides caddie opportunities to promising high school students. With seven chapters nationwide, the program offers students a chance to caddie each day, earn money, meet role models and learn valuable life lessons on the golf course. After completing three summers, participants are eligible to apply for the Evans Scholarship.

Evans Scholars have a cumulative GPA of 3.3 and a 98 percent graduation rate. An estimated 40 percent are first-generation college students, and 96 percent are employed or enrolled in graduate school within six months of graduating.

Funds for the Evans Scholarship come mostly from contributions by more than 43,500 supporters across the country, who are members of the Evans Scholars Par Club program. Evans Scholars Alumni donate more than $15 million annually, and all proceeds from the BMW Championship, the penultimate PGA TOUR Playoff event in the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup competition, benefit the Evans Scholars Foundation. In 2026, the BMW Championship will be held at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri, from Aug. 18-23.